INSTANT MBA: "If You Do Things Without Knowing How They've Always Been Done, You're Guaranteed To Do Them Differently"

"You've got to embrace what you don't know. Don't let what you don't know scare you, because it can become your greatest asset. And if you do things without knowing how they have always been done, you're guaranteed to do them differently."

Blakely had been a door-to-door fax saleswoman for seven years when she patented an idea for women's shape-wear, Spanx, something she had no background in. She worked at night, during the weekends, and scheduled meetings on her vacation days. Two years later, she was featured on Oprah and sold over $350 million a year.

"People would escort me out of buildings at least once a week. I got my business card ripped up in my face twice a week. It was so brutal, but it was good training."

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